Brake indicator signaling medium



Api-il 1J, 1950 J. R. HoLLlNs BRA INDICATOR SIGNALING IEDIUI z-"nedoct. 1. 194s i 'lll/MII PatentedApr. l1, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTYOFFICE BRAKE INDICATOR SIGNALING MEDIUM Jesse R. Hollins, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application October 1, 1948, Serial No. 52.297

i Claim. l

This invention relates to indicator lamps, and more particularly to anindicator lamp for signallng the position of an automotive vehicle handbrake lever.

Various hand brake indicator lamp arrangements have been proposed, kbuthave generally `seen fairly complicated in construction and haverequired considerable modification of the vehicle dashboard forinstallation. Additionally, such arrangements have involved the yuse ofspecial brake lever operated switches to operate the indicator lamp. Asa result, such prior art arrangements have not met with any degree oi'commercial success.

In contrast, the hand or parking brake indicator comprises simply astandard automotive vehicle socket and lamp, with a simple mountingbracket or dash-mounting lamp, and a tension means, such as a cord,`connecting the usual lamp live conductor to the hand brake lever. 'I'helength of the cord is such that, when the dash-mounted brake lever is inthe forward, or fully released position, the yusual base contact springof the lamp socket is compressed, by the pull of the cord on theconductor, to separate this contact from the center or base contact ofthe lamp in the socket. This breaks the lamp energizing circuit, so thatthe lamp is extinguished when the brake is fully released, and is lit inall other positions of the brake lever.

A feature of the invention is a cap or casing iltting over the lamp.This casing may be made of translucent material or may have anilluminable indicator button or the like. 'Ihe casing encloses a springwhich engages the lamp to prevent the latter rattling in the socket, asmay occur when the socket spring is compressed, as described.

The arrangement is simply and easily installed on the dash in i'rontofthe hand brake lever.

The bracket is either clamped or screwed to the dash to ground thesocket; or the latter may be mounted in a hole drilled in the dash. Thelive conductor is attached to the open terminal of the ignition switch.A cord is then clamped or tied to the conductor outside the socket. Theend of the cord carries a hook or the like which is slipped over thebrake cable at its connection to the lever. The slack in the cord isselected so that the socket base spring engages the conductor contactwith the lamp contact at all times except when the brake lever is fullyreleased,

It is accordingly among the objects of this invention to provide asimple, inexpensive, and easily installed hand brake lever indicator.

A further object is to provide such an indicator in which no switch isneeded.

A still further.object is to provide such an indicator includingantifrattling means for the indicator lamp.

These, and other objects, advantages and novel features of the inventionwill be apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view, partly in section, illustrating theinvention incorporated in a motor vehicle having a hand or parking brakelever pivotally mounted behind its dashboard.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the indicator lamp.

Referring to Fig. l, a motor vehicle frame is indicated at I0 as havinga bracket I I on which is pivoted a hand or parking brake operatinglever I5. Lever I5 operates the brakes through the medium of a cable I2attached to a clamp I3 on the lever and extending through a flexiblecasing or housing I4.

Lever I5 is mounted behind the vehicle dashboard IB having a flange I1and an extension I I on which is mounted an ignition switch 20 having anopen terminal 2| and a live terminal 22. Terminal y2i is connected tothe vehicle source ofelectric potential. such as the battery and/orgenerator (not shown) by conductor 28. A key 24 operates the ignitionswitch, and a conductor 23 connects terminal 2I to the ignition coilsystem (not'shown) of the vehicle.

The indicator of the invention is illustrated generally at 30, andcomprises a standard lamp socket 3| having a bayonet slot 32 receiving apin 33 on the base 34 of lamp 35. Socket 3| has a base contact 36 on theend of a conductor 31 extending through an aperture 38 in the base ofthe socket. Contact 86 carries an insulating member, such as a washer4I, and a spring 42, surrounding conductor or insulated wire 31, extendsbetween washer 4I and the closed base 43 of the socket. Lamp 35, whenengaged in the socket 3|, is held rmly therein by spring 42 forcing rcontact 36 against the center or base contact I4 of the lamp. Thearrangement so far described is that of a standard vehicle lamp andsocket.

In the specic embodiment shown, a bracket 45 is provided for mountingsocket 3i on the ilange I1 of dashboard I6 of the vehicle. A rectangularprotecting bracket 46 surrounds socket Il, and has an eyelet 41 in itsrear wall for conductor 31. The forward wall of bracket 48 is formedwith a threaded collar. Collar 4l receives a nut ll which clamps bracketI! to bracket 4l.

I 3 Bracket hasailanse i2 whichissecuredto flange I1 by studs, or thelike I3.. Threaded into collar Il is a casing or cap Il having anilluminable button or the like Bl in its forward wall. For a purpose tobe described, casing I4 encloses a spring Il engaging lamp Il.

Indicator III is secured in operative relation to the vehicle elementsin the following manner. Holes are drilled in flange I1 to receive studsI3, thus mounting indicator 30 on the dash immediately in front of leverIl. The end oiL conductor 31 is connected to open terminal II ofignition switch 20. A cord, spring or the like Ill is provided toconnect the indicator to lever Il.

One end of cord SII carries a hook BI which is slipped over cable I2 atits connection to clamp Il. The lever Il is moved forwardly to its fullyreleased position, cord 6I is pulled taut and conductor Il is pulled outof contacting position in socket 3| suillciently to compress springdisengage contacts 36 and 44. With cord SII still tant, its other end issecured to conductor 31. just beyond the bracket IB, by a suitable clampor the like B2. Since conductor '31 is always connected to the "open"terminal of the ignition switch, the unit is in operation only when theignition is in "on position. The assembly is now completed. Y p

When lever I5 is pulled rearwardly to apply the brakes, cord GII isslacked, allowing spring 42 to engage contacts 36, M to light lamp 35.

The lamp is lighted in any but the fully released position of lever I5.In the latter position, cord In is taut, compressing spring l2 todlsengage contacts 36, 4l, breaking the lamp circuit and i extinguishinglamp 35.

A positive indication of the position of lever I5 is thus given at alltimes, without the necessity of using a special switch. Only a standardvehicle lamp and socket are required, and the socket may be mountedthrough dashboard I6 if desired. Spring 56 in cap 54 presses lamp 35into socket 3| when spring 42 is compressed, preventing lamp 35 fromrattling in its socket.

42 and While a specific embodiment of the linvention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application ot the principlesthereof, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwiseembodied, without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

A hand brake signal for automotive vehicles having a hand brakeoperating lever pivotally mounted on the vehicle frame and a cableconnecting said lever to the brakes; said signal com-l prising, incombination. an automotive type lamp socket having a contact in its basebiased by a spring toward the base contact of a lamp mounted in saidsocket. and a conductor connected to said contact and extendingoutwardly through the socket base for connection to a source of electricpotential; a bracket secured to the vehicle frame and mounting saidsocket; a cord secured to said conductor outside said socket; means onthe other end of said cord detachably connectible to said cable at thelatters connection to said lever. the length of said cord being suchthat, in the fully released position of said lever, said cord will exerta pull on said conductor to draw said conductor contact away from saidlamp base contact whereby said lamp will be extinguished in the fullyreleased position of said lever, said spring engaging said contacts tolight said lamp in any but the fully released position of said lever; acasing secured to said bracket and surrounding said lamp, said casinghaving an illuminable indicator in its face; and aspring in said casingengaging said lamp and biasing the same into ilrm seating engagement insaid socket.

JESSE R. HOLLINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

` UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 2,343,394 Blomberg et al Mar.l'l, 1944

